ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers won the World Series, lest you forgot. As much fun as it would be to just sit on that for a few years, the goal is to stay in contention and compete perennially. The bullpen’s performance in 2023 is not a sustainable way to continue trying to win.
Even with the supplemental moves over the summer to acquire Aroldis Chapman and Chris Stratton, the bullpen was a glaring problem for Texas in what was otherwise an exceptionally good season throughout that culminated in an historic October. Developing from within would be a great strategy, but there doesn’t appear to be anyone ready to step on the rubber immediately.
Help for the 2024 bullpen is going to need to come from outside the organization. But what do the Rangers need and who’s available that can fit the bill?
2023 bullpen numbers – Texas was ranked in the bottom five of the American League as far as reliever ERA was concerned, coming in at 4.77. Only the Angels, White Sox, A’s and Royals were worse, and given where all of those teams ended up, it’s a marvel that Texas made it into the playoffs to begin with, much less won the Fall Classic.
Opponents’ batting average against the team wasn’t that bad; even though it was still bottom third in all of MLB at .242. However, when they got hit, they got hit hard. Texas’ bullpen gave up the third most home runs of any American League team. It only got worse in the second half, as opponents were slugging a robust .494, .415, .446 in July-September respectively.
There was a problem with the quality of the strikes thrown (or lack thereof) and a problem with holding leads. The blown save stat is well known to have been an issue for Texas, as they were the first team to reach the playoffs with more blown saves (33) than saves (30).
What do the Rangers need? – It’s hard to pinpoint exactly who Texas needs to target in free agency or via trade when it comes to enhancing their bullpen stability. Bullpens, by nature, are unstable, and you needn’t look any further than October hero Jose Leclerc.
Leclerc, who earned a spot as the Rangers’ closer in 2018, only to lose it by 2019, missed all of 2021 with an injury, had some relative success in his return in 2022, before going on a roller coaster campaign this season and ending the year as the most stable arm during the postseason, finishing all but one of Texas’ wins in the playoffs.
Relievers are unpredictable, ask Josh Sborz. Sborz finished the 2023 regular season with an ERA of 5.50 before having the month of his life in October to provide manager Bruce Bochy with a critical setup relief option. But that variance means it’s hard to commit to someone, even if there’s a proven track record, but you have to draw on resources because you never know what you actually have in the minors and how long that will last.
Firepower – One thing that Texas knew it needed out of the gate was firepower and it is something that they will have to track down again for next year. Jonathan Hernandez was the Rangers’ hardest throwing reliever coming out of Spring Training, routinely topping 97-98 MPH with his fastball, but his problem remains severe control issues.
To that end, general manager Chris Young went out and acquired Chapman, whose legendary 100+ MPH fastballs were no doubt an asset – but the former World Series closer battled control issues of his own, oftentimes making his outings far more dramatic than anybody would have wished for.
With Chapman unlikely to return to Texas next year, Hernandez will be back from the right side, but having that lefty power arm is no doubt something that would give Bochy another weapon in relief.
Who’s available in free agency? The most notable name on the hard-throwing lefty reliever list is Josh Hader. Hader, the former closer for the Milwaukee Brewers and, more recently, the San Diego Padres, is entering his age-30 season and will likely command a hefty commitment and price tag. The five-time All-Star had a renaissance of sorts in his first full year as a Padre, completely turning things around from a disastrous 2022 when he was traded from Milwaukee mid-season.
Hader put up a 1.28 ERA in 61 games, saving 33 contests for the Friars with a 13.6 K/9 ratio and just 0.5 HR/9. Opponents hit just .163 off the lefty. Texas is rumored to be a favorite to sign Hader but the organization hasn’t really spent top dollar on relievers in a long time so it remains to be seen if they’ll make an exception for Hader.
Another notable hard-throwing lefty is Wandy Peralta, who saved four games for the New York Yankees, putting up a 2.83 ERA in 63 games, totaling 54 innings. If Texas doesn’t want to put all of their eggs in the Hader basket, someone like Peralta, along with multiple arms, could fit the bill.
Stability – As mentioned, relievers and stability are hard to put in the same sentence together, but really, until the playoffs, Texas didn’t have an anchor in the bullpen. While Will Smith handled his duties early in the season, he gave way to a closer-by-committee situation with Chapman and wasn’t really the same pitcher after the All-Star break. There was nobody that would be considered a “lockdown” reliever.
Texas might look to a former in-state rival to help fill that gap. Hector Neris, the former Astros reliever, was outstanding for Houston the entire year, putting up a 1.71 ERA in 71 games. Neris has the experience to hold down the back end of the bullpen, having been a closer with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Neris brings strikeout power and durability from the right side, posting a 10.1 K/9 rate and a career 3.4 K/BB ratio. 2023, though, was Neris’ best year since 2019. Outside of that, Neris has been all over the place. The 34-year old might not need a huge contract based on his age and uneven track record, and the fact that 2023 was the third year in a row he made 70+ appearances, but he represents one of the better high-leverage bullpen pieces available in free agency.
Former Cardinals and Blue Jays reliever Jordan Hicks also brings the heat in the right-handed relief market. Hicks, who was traded to Toronto at the deadline, actually surpassed his numbers as a Cardinal. In 25 games with the Jays, he posted a career best 2.63 ERA while averaging 100 MPH on his fastball. Going into his age-27 season, Hicks will likely command a bigger deal than Neris. But is giving a multi-year, high-dollar contract to a reliever the right move for Texas?
The truth is, a lot of moves aren’t going to be made until AL MVP Shohei Ohtani makes his upcoming landmark decision. The number of dollars and years that are available for everyone are a complete mystery until teams know how much they have to contribute to the Ohtani fund.
Pitchers like Neris, Hicks, Hader and Peralta aren’t going to sign with non-contending clubs and all the contending clubs are going to be in the Ohtani sweepstakes to varying degrees. But the relievers on the market represent some of what the Rangers need, and landing at least one of them should be a priority as they look to defend their crown and supplement an already strong baseball club.
Do you think the Rangers need to address their bullpen with free agent signings this winter? Share your thoughts with Matt on Twitter @FisherWritesMLB.
